Dolphins Throw Support Behind Tua
There was a weird sense of deja vu for older reporters covering the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.
It came when head coach Brian Flores, after already expressing his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and praising his progress, was asked if Tua was going to be the team's Week 1 starter.
“Yes. I don’t know if I can be more clear,” Flores said. “I don’t know how many times ... I don’t know how much more clear I can be here. Tua is the starter. I mean, if I need to say it again, I will.”
Flash back to December 2006, and awfully similar words were said by then-coach Nick Saban when he was asked about rumors he might be headed to the University of Alabama.
"I don't know how many times I've got to respond to rumor and innuendo," Saban said back then. "I have no control over that. I've stated what my intentions are and they really haven't changed, so I don't know what the issue is."
Saban then declared, "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach," which is exactly what he became a couple of weeks later.
Before anybody gets upset, the point of that anecdote was NOT to suggest that Flores was lying and Tua won't be the Dolphins' Week 1 starter.
Tua WILL BE the Dolphins' Week 1 starter — barring some unforeseen circumstances (such as illness or injury).
Furthermore, Tua could end up being the starter for a very long time if he makes a big jump in 2021, the kind of jump that so many of his supporters are suggesting is inevitable.
And if he does make that jump, and it becomes clear sooner rather than later that he's clearly on his way to becoming a bona fide franchise quarterback, then maybe all this talk of the Dolphins being interested in Deshaun Watson will end.
But we're not at that stage yet, which is why the reports keep coming about the Dolphins interest.
The latest example came Thursday morning when Dan Patrick said on his national radio show that a source told him the Dolphins indeed still were interested in Watson.
That followed the report from Pro Football Talk suggesting that owner Stephen Ross "really wants" Watson, which a source has confirmed to us is absolutely accurate. There also were reports, through a Dolphins team source, that Ross believes in Tua and does not dictate roster decisions, which is good to hear but also doesn't dispute his desire for Watson.
And, of course, there was the Yahoo report that started the whole thing, the one indicating the Dolphins were the front-runners to make a trade for Watson.
But there has been no Watson trade yet, and it's entirely possible there will be no Watson trade at all in 2021.
The reasons for that are obvious: Houston's asking price (reported to start with three first-round picks and two second-round picks) combined with Watson's uncertain future arising from the 22 allegations of sexual misconduct against him. No charges have been filed against Watson, who has made the Pro Bowl the past three seasons, but his availability this season is unclear, and Houston police and the NFL are investigating the allegations against him.
On the flip side, Houston now has chosen to carry Watson on its 53-man roster and pay him his $10 million contract for 2021 despite showing no interest in using him in light of his stated desire to be traded.
The trade deadline is Nov. 2, and it could be that the Texans are banking on a team being more willing at that time to give them what they want to get Watson or maybe even wait until next offseason — though there's a risk his NFL future outlook would be even more uncertain at that time, which could further diminish his trade value.
It truly is a situation unlike any other in NFL history.
But while, again, it's entirely possible — if not probable — that the Dolphins won't make a trade for Watson, it's also pretty clear that the possibility shouldn't be entirely dismissed.
As they prepare for their opener against New England, Tagovailoa is the quarterback, so it absolutely, positively made perfect sense to come out in full support this week in the aftermath of the Yahoo report.
Flores' comments, which came in the aftermath of an ESPN report saying he had addressed the Watson rumors with his team and stated his support for Tagovailoa, were exactly what he should have been expected to say.
“You guys know this, I don’t really get into conversations I have with the team, players," Flores said. "Those conversations are private. Like I’ve said before, I think it’s just common courtesy to keep those conversations between myself and the player or the team. I will say that Tua is our quarterback. I think he’s had a good training camp. I think he’s made a lot of progress. I think he’s made a lot of improvement and we’re pleased with where he is. He’s going through his preparations for New England the way he should be, and that’s where we are as a team.”
Linebacker Elandon Roberts also publicly supported Tagovailoa, as any good teammate would.
"He’s our quarterback," Robert said. "Like Tua supports each of his teammates, we support Tua."
Tagovailoa obviously was appreciative of Flores’ comments.
“I think it means a lot, with it coming from the head coach,” he said. “The support that I have from him, from the team, it means a lot. For me, I’m just focused literally on trying to get our guys ready for next week."
By that time, when the Dolphins are facing the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, all the focus will be on Tua.
